BUSINESS B790
Theory Building in Management
Fall 2026
Topics
- theory building
- grounded theory
- motivation
- strategic management
- financial management
- operations management
- managerial accounting
- training
- hypothesis testing
Readings
- Popper, K. (1981). The myth of inductive hypothesis generation. In R.D. Tweney, M.E. Doherty, and C.R. Mynatt (Eds.), On Scientific Thinking. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Popper, K. (1981). Science, pseudo-science, and falsifiability. In R.D. Tweney, M.E. Doherty, and C.R. Mynatt (Eds.), On Scientific Thinking. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Campbell, J. P. (1990). The role of theory in industrial and organizational psychology. In M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (2nd ed.), Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.
- Christenson, C. (1983). The methodology of positive accounting. The Accounting Review, 58, 1, 1-22.
- Dubin, R. (1976). Theory building in applied areas. In M. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. New York: McNally.
- Gregor, S. (2006). The nature of theory in information systems. MIS Quarterly, 30, 3, 611- 642.
- Weick, K. (1995). What theory is not, Theorizing is. Administrative Science quarterly, 40, 3, 385-390.
- Astley, G. (1984). Subjectivity, sophistry and symbolism in Management Science. Journal of Management Studies, 21, 259-272.
- Astley, G. (1985). Administrative science as socially constructed truth. Administrative Science Quarterly, 30, 497-513.
- Astley, G. & Van de Ven, A. (1983). Central perspectives and debates in organization theory. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 245-273.
- Barney, J. B., & Zhang, S. (2009). The future of Chinese management research: A theory of Chinese management versus a Chinese theory of management. Management and Organizational Research, 5, 15-28.
- Filatotchev, I., Ireland, R. D., & Stahl, G.K. (2022). Contextualizing management research: An open systems perspective. Journal of Management Studies, 59, 4, p. 1036-1056 (interest reading)
- Gioia, D., & Pietre, E., (1994). Multiparadigm perspectives on theory building, Academy of Management Review, 15, 4, 584-602.
- Muzio, D. (2021). Re-conceptualizing management theory: How do we move away from Western-centered knowledge, Journal of Management Studies 59, 4, p. 1032-1035. (interest reading)
- Fayol, H. (1996). Planning. In Matteson, M. & Ivancevich, J.M. (Eds.) Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (6th ed.), p. 87-94. Irwin: Toronto
- Koontz, H. (1996). The management theory jungle. In Matteson, M. & Ivancevich, J.M. (Eds.) Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (6th ed.), p. 18-34. Irwin: Toronto
- Taylor, F. W. (1980). The principles of scientific management. In Boone, L.E & Bowen, D.D. (Eds.) The Great Writings in Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (6th ed.), p. 34-52. Petroleum Publishing Company: Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Weber, M. (1996). The ideal bureaucracy. In Matteson, M. & Ivancevich, J.M. (Eds.) Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (6th ed.), p. 171- 177. Irwin: Toronto
- Bruce, K. (2006). Henry S. Dennison, Elton Mayo, and Human Relations historiography. Management and Organizational History, 1, 2, p. 177-199.
- Pfeffer, J. (1996). The ambiguity of leadership. In Matteson, M. & Ivancevich, (Eds.) Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (6th ed.), p. 301-313. Irwin: Toronto
- Safaei, B., Majd, B., & Baba, V.V, (2026). The Conference of The Birds: Lessons in Leadership and Management from 12th Century Persia. Journal of Management History, 32,
- Juran, J. (1995). The quality trilogy. In Sower, V.E., Motwani, J. & Svoie, M.J. (Eds.), Classic Readings in Operations Management, p. 277-288. Dryden: Montreal. 9
- Skinner, W. (1995). The productivity paradox. In Sower, V.E., Motwani, J. & Svoie, M.J. (Eds.), Classic Readings in Operations Management, p. 461-470. Dryden: Montreal.
- Alavi, M., & Leidner, D.E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems : Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25, 1, 107- 136.
- Jonscher, C. (1994). An economic study of the information technology revolution. In Allen, T.J. & Scott Morton, M.S. (Eds.) Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990’s: Research studies, p.5-42. Oxford University Press: New York.
- Lee, B., Barua, A., & Whinston, A.B. (1997). Discovery and representation of causal relationships in MIS research: A methodological framework. MIS Quarterly, 21, 1, 109-136.
- Arndt, J. (1985). On making marketing science more scientific: Role of orientations, paradigms, metaphors, and puzzle solving. Journal of Marketing, 49, 3, 11-23.
- Bartels, R. (1986). Development of marketing thought: A brief history. In Sheth, Garrett, D.E. (Eds.), Marketing Theory: Classic and Contemporary Reading, p.190-210. South-West: Cincinnati, OH
- Deshpande, R. (1986). Paradigms lost: On theory and method in research in marketing. In Sheth, J.N. & Garrett, D.E. (Eds.), Marketing Theory: Classic and Contemporary Reading, p.112-118. South-West: Cincinnati, OH
- Hunt, S. (1986). General theories and the fundamental explanation of marketing. In Sheth, J.N. & Garrett, D.E. (Eds.), Marketing Theory: Classic and Contemporary Reading, p.190-210. South-West: Cincinnati, OH
- Hunt, S. (1986). The nature and scope of marketing. In Sheth, J.N. & Garrett, D.E. (Eds.), Marketing Theory: Classic and Contemporary Reading, p.20-
- Kotler, P. (1986). Behavioral models for analyzing buyers. In H.A. Thompson, (Ed.) The Great Writings in Marketing, p.147-166. The Commerce Press: Plymouth, MI
- Kotler, P. & Levy, S.J. (1986). Broadening the concept of marketing. In H.A. Thompson, (Ed.) The Great Writings in Marketing, p.59-72. The Commerce Press: Plymouth, MI
- Ferraro, F., Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R.I. (2005). Economics language and assumptions: How theories can be self-fulfilling. Academy of Management Review, 30, 8-24.
- Jensen, M., & Meckling, W.H. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behaviour, agency costs, and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3, 305-360.
- Alvesson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2013). Has Management Studies Lost Its Way? Ideas for More Imaginative and Innovative Research. Journal of Management Studies, 50:1, 128-152.
- Barker, R. (2010). No, management is not a profession. Harvard Business Review, 01 Jul 2010, 88(7-8):52-60, 169
- Donaldson, T. & Walsh, J.P. (2015) Toward a theory of business. Research in Organizational Behavior, 35, 181-207.
- Koontz, H. (1980). The management theory jungle revisited. Academy of Management Review, 5, 175-187.
- Khurana, R., & Nohria, N. (2008). It’s time to make management a true profession. Harvard Business Review, October, 70-77.
- Thomas, M. (2006). Management: A profession in theory. Management Decision, 44, 3, 309-315.
- Hitt, M. A., Beamish, P. W., Jackson, S. E., & Mathieu, J. E. (2007). Building theoretical and empirical bridges across levels: Multilevel research in management. Academy of Management Journal, 50(6), 1385-1399.
- Oswick, C., Fleming, P., & Hanlon, G. (2011). From borrowing to blending: Rethinking the process of organizational theory building. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 318-337.